Un Carnet de Bal (1937)

 Julien Duvivier's "Un Carnet de Bal"

Julien Duvivier had an incredible year in 1937, making two important and resonant films, the first being his iconic "Pepe le Moko." The second, "Un Carnet de Bal," often gets overshadowed by the first but is an incredible film in its own right. Starring an array of iconic French actors, from Harry Bauer to Raimu to Francoise Rosay, "Un Carnet de Bal" is the kind of film that doesn't use romance, action, or any spectacle as a crutch. Rather, its a melancholic look at life, love, and memory.

The film centers on a woman whose husband just died. In the midst of grieving, she remembers a ball she attended at the age of 16 and all the dance partners who signed her card. She decides to go and visit each former suitor and view how they are, where they are, and what has happened to them since that fateful night.

"Un Carnet de Bal" centers on themes of nostalgia and the 'what could have been' of one's life. Not only this, it is a rumination of how time changes and molds us. Upon visiting every former suitor, our protagonist views the varying ways that each of these men has dealt with life's hardships. Some men became criminals, some became priests, some became bitter and unhappy, while others merely killed themselves. Through the tapestry of lives that fractured from one eventful night, Duvivier demonstrates how time changes and we change with it.